Remarkable events unfolded in Bulgaria prior to the First League match between Arda and Levski Sofia (ended 1:1). A minute of silence was observed for Petko Ganchev, a former player for Arda, who turned out to be alive.

The club management acted on information that Ganchev had passed away, but rather than verifying it first, they opted to hold a minute of silence.

During the match, members of Ganchev’s family reached out to the club to inform them that Petko was indeed alive, leading the club to issue a public apology.

“Dear journalists and Arda fans, the club’s management wishes to extend its sincerest apologies to our former football player Petko Ganchev and his family after receiving inaccurate information regarding his death. We wish Petko many more years of health and happiness as he shares in Arda’s successes,” the club stated.

Ganchev himself later shared his experience.

“I was about ten minutes late getting home from a game I intended to watch, as I had to run some errands. While driving, my phone rang incessantly. Upon arriving home and walking into the yard, my wife greeted me in tears, exclaiming that they had announced on television that I had died. I was completely bewildered by her words. Then I started hearing from my friends,” he recounted.

“It’s extremely distressing to be ‘buried alive.’ Unusual things happen, but it was truly tough. It’s one thing for a rumor to circulate in the village, but to broadcast such news to the entire Bulgarian football community… I received calls from many—relatives, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. It was unpleasant, but in the end, everything turned out alright. When I heard the false news, I poured myself a glass of brandy,” Ganchev reflected.

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